1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to ink supply systems comprising an ink cartridge and a cartridge mounting portion configured to receive the ink cartridge.
2. Description of Related Art
A known inkjet printer, such as the inkjet printer described in JP-A-2007-196647, has an ink supply system. The ink supply system has an ink cartridge having an ink chamber, and a cartridge mounting portion configured to removably receive the ink cartridge. When the ink cartridge is mounted to the cartridge mounting portion, an ink path is formed extending from the ink chamber to a recording head of the inkjet printer. Ink is supplied from the ink chamber to the recording head via the ink path. The ink cartridge has an air introduction portion configured to introduce air into the ink chamber. The air introduction portion has an opening formed through a wall of the ink cartridge, an elastic tube positioned at the periphery of the opening, and a valve configured to selectively cover and uncover the opening. The valve has a rod, and the rod is positioned in the tube. When the ink cartridge is mounted to the cartridge mounting portion, the rod contacts an inner wall of the cartridge mounting portion and is pushed toward the ink chamber, such that the valve is moved and the opening is uncovered. When this occurs, the tube is pressed against the inside wall of the cartridge mounting portion, such that the interior of the tube is sealed from the exterior of the tube. The inner wall of the cartridge mounting portion has a passage formed therethrough, such that, the interior of the ink chamber is in communication with the exterior of the ink chamber via the tube of the ink cartridge and the passage of the inner wall in the cartridge mounting portion.
Nevertheless, the tube may not be pressed evenly against the inner wall of the cartridge mounting portion. Consequently, a gap may be formed between the inner wall and the tube. The printer may not operate properly, and a user may return the printer to a store which sold the printer or to a manufacturer of the printer with the ink cartridge still mounted to the cartridge mounting portion. In such a case, ink may leak via the gap between the inner wall and the tube, and the ink may smear the interior of the printer when the printer is returned to the store or the manufacturer.